A Mother Knows
by aussie-chick-13
Summary: Loki's having symptoms that go hand in hand with pregnancy and thinks that he may be, but keeps finding himself in dangerous situations which are terrifying as he might be carrying a passenger. After he collapses in a fight, Thor takes him in.
1. Chapter 1

_So this is a prompt I'm filling over at norsekink on lj, but I'd thought I'd post it here. Just as forewarning these chapters will be short. I'm setting myself a goal of writing a chapter per day so they aren't going to be giant but they will be regular _

_Prompt (in short):_

"_Loki's having symptoms similar to those that go hand in hand with pregnancy and thinks that he may be. Since he's got no real way to make sure that he is or isn't pregnant yet he decides to play it safe for a while until the symptoms go away or he starts showing._

_But he keeps finding himself in dangerous situations, which he would usually find annoying, but now they're absolutely terrifying because he might be carrying a passenger on board. Basically, I want to see Loki scurrying about, shielding his stomach at all costs and flinching away from anyone/thing that might hurt him and the baby he might be carrying._

_Bonuses:_

_-If the Avengers spot Loki and attack him._

_-If Thor notices Loki protecting his stomach, realizes why, then freaks out"_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>It takes Thor a while to notice.<p>

Loki is nervous and what's more is that he's not bothering to hide his fear.

The trickster looks panicked and his arms are wrapped protectively around his abdomen, hands clutching at the fabric.

The Avengers had managed to find one of Doom's hideouts and had stormed the place, guns blazing. Thor himself was in the thick of it. He didn't even realise Loki was there until he saw a flash of dark hair and green eyes that had to belong to his brother.

Thor growls, hefts Mjolnir and takes off after the other god.

Loki keeps to the shadows, to the edges of the room and seems to be working his way to the entrance. He stops behind the last pillar. To get to the door he has to brave the fight, cross several metres of unprotected space.

Thor doesn't see the distressed look on Loki's face as he glances at his stomach. All he sees is his brother hiding. The sounds of fighting have died down as the rest of the team apprehend Doom and his men. Heads turn to find Thor. Stark and the others look in time to see Thor hurl Mjolnir at the pillar.  
>"I'm sick of your games, Brother! Come out and fight!" Thor yells. A meaningful look is shared between the team and they move to stand with Thor.<p>

As the pillar crumbles, Loki rushes out from behind it. His normal gracefulness is gone, one hand is wrapped around his middle and the other is outstretched as Loki attempts to regain his balance. He turns, wild-eyed, to face the Avengers. Panic and distress are clear across his face as the each of the heroes kick into battle mode.

It's Barton that moves first. The archer has sent an arrow Loki's way in an instant. That doesn't surprise Thor. What does is when it hits.

Loki is too slow to dodge and he isn't using his magic for some reason. The arrow lodges itself in Loki's shoulder. Yet even wounded in his shoulder, Loki's hands do not move themselves from his stomach.

That's when Thor connects the dots.  
>"STOP!" For Odin's sake, stop attacking!" he yells. The team pause and look at him in confusion. Thor only has eyes for his brother who, by that point, was kneeling, face twisted in pain. Thor himself drops Mjolnir to the ground and rushes to his brother.<br>"Loki, why didn't you tell me?" Thor's voice is quiet and filled with concern. If his brother was bearing another child, why was he even here in the first place?

Loki looks up at Thor. "You'd tell Odin, I'm not losing another child because of you," he hisses.  
>"Brother...no. I-," Thor stops and grips Loki's shoulders. "You know I never wished for that,"<br>Loki tenses and snarls in pain. Thor immediately pulls back and watches as Loki's face goes pale. Thor's hand is covered in blood and there's a stain fast spreading down the trickster's sleeve. Thor meets Loki's eyes again just as his eyelids flutter and then all of a sudden Loki is pitching forward, body limp. Thor catches his brother before he hits the ground.

Steve walks forward. "Thor, what's going on?"  
>The god stands, Loki held in his arms. Steve is struck by how small the trickster looks. "He is coming with us,"<br>"I don't know if that's the best idea. I mean-"  
>"No!" Thor snaps. "He is my brother and he is ill. He is coming with us," Thor's tone is not one to be argued with so Steve just nods.<br>"Okay then, bring him to the plane,"


	2. Chapter 2

Four hours later and Loki is still unconscious. Thor hasn't left his side for more than a minute, refusing to let go of his little brother's hand.

Loki is pale. Too pale. The white sheets give his skin an almost translucent look and the trickster's shock of black hair makes the bags under his eyes all that more apparent.

Thor swallows nervously. His brother is too still. Thor can barely make out the rise and fall of his chest. The wound in his shoulder has been cleaned and bandaged by midgardian healers but it is healing slowly.

Too slow.  
>Too slow and too still.<br>Something is wrong with Loki's magic.

Loki can vaguely feel Thor's hand on his. But he is tired. Bone-weary.  
>The moment he realised he might be with child, he diverted almost all his magic into spells and shields around his abdomen. He had spells to guard his possible child against any attack.<p>

And any detection.

Loki would not lose another child to Odin.

But the spells are taxing, they draw on his strength. So Loki has been careful. He disappeared into a safehouse and kept his head down. As he planned to until he knew for sure that he was pregnant.

He'd gone to Doom's hideout for what he'd thought was a life-threatening reason. Turns out Doom was bored and wanted to show off a new toy. Next thing Loki knew, his brother was crashing through the wall with his team of mortals and Loki was running for his life.

He hadn't been prepared. He had no reserves of magic to draw on and couldn't-wouldn't risk drawing energy form any of the protective spells in place. Teleporting could easily be dangerous for the child as could shifting form. Loki had no idea what, if any (though he wasn't considering that possibility at the time), child he was carrying. So many forms of his magic could be fatal. So Loki ran.

But, of course, Thor had seen him and given chase. He'd brought down the pillar, nearly on top of Loki. Then it was fire and pain in his shoulder as the arrow easily passed through the pitiful shield that his personal protections had dissolved to.

His hands cradled his stomach and Loki prayed that there was no poison on the arrow. Then Thor was rushing towards him and all the trickster could think was _nonononono stay away, you'll take it away from me_but he was in no position to protest, barely managing to stay conscious.

Then Thor's hands were on his shoulders and he becomes startlingly aware the searing pain and blood loss and Loki's vision started to blur as he began to lose his fight with unconsciousness. He was aware of the sticky coldness that was his blood dripping down his arm and then Loki's pitching forward and all he can think of is the child that he may be carrying.

He stirs later to the feeling of the arrow being dug out of his shoulder. He knows it won't heal like normal. He has no energy for it. Just as he hasn't the energy to wake.

Nor the desire.

Loki is afraid.

Not for himself but for the child that he may lose before he even truly knows it exists. If Thor has informed Odin then Loki would rid himself of the child before it is born. He will not risk its birth into such a life.

Loki feels the pressure on his hand increase but cannot summon the energy or will to move. For now he will rest. Heal. Recover. And pray that Thor has not told Odin.

Thor is a man of action, but here he is helpless. He does not know magic, he can sense the pulse of it over Loki's skin but nothing more. He doesn't know Loki is not healing or why he won't wake. All he can do is sit with his baby brother and wait. Thor squeezes Loki's hand.  
>He waits for a response.<br>He waits for movement.  
>He receives nothing.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Frost giant=cold blood in my little personal head-canon<em>


	3. Chapter 3

_Forgive me for the sudden change from present to past tense in this chapter. I was trying to break my habit of writing fills in present tense and I can't be bothered editing the first two. _

_Also if I need a warning for angst there should probs be one on this story. At least at the moment.  
>And just in regard to mythology with Loki's kids, I'm going mainly on some prior knowledge so if I make any major errors please tell me and I'll correct them :]<em>

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><p>Thor was half-asleep by his brother's side, head resting on the bed next to Loki. Steve and Jane stood just outside the door. They'd been standing there awhile and neither knew what to do.<p>

Jane was the one who broke the silence. "I can't just stand here, I'm going to talk to him," as she stepped forward to move to Thor's side when Steve caught her arm.  
>"Jane, we don't know what state Loki's in. He's still dangerous,"<br>Jane leveled a glare at the Captain that nearly had him flinching. "The guy's passed out and has been for like seven hours. He's clearly incapacitated," she snapped as she wrenched her arm from Steve's grip and stepped forward to place a hand on Thor's shoulder. The god jerked awake and sat up suddenly. "Has he woken?" he asked before he was fully awake. Jane just shook her head sadly as Thor turned his eyes to his brother's still form. "No...," she began cautiously. "Thor, you need to sleep,"  
>"I'm fine,"<br>"You're not any help to him like this. I know you...care for Loki," Jane stumbled over the words. She found it hard to accept Thor's apparent love for Loki. She knew that they were brothers, but after all Loki had done? But she would deal with it for now. "I know you do but _you_ need to rest as well. He'll wake eventually but you sitting here won't make it happen any faster,"  
>Thor just shook his head firmly and gripped his brother's hand again. "I am sorry Lady Jane but you do not understand. I simply cannot leave my brother as he is," he said firmly. Jane sighed, this was going nowhere.<p>

Steve echoed Jane's sigh from the doorway. He couldn't understand why Thor was so insistent that he stayed with Loki...unless the god knew something he wasn't sharing. Steve walked forward to join Jane next to the bed. "Thor, what's really wrong with Loki? Why isn't he healing?" he asked, arms crossed over his chest.

Thor'd been asked earlier, when Loki was first brought in, but hadn't answered very well. Loki might be the one with the reputation as a silvertongued liesmith but Thor wasn't that bad at misdirection himself. Steve picked up the signs of discomfort easily now. Whatever it was that he knew, Thor wasn't about to part with it easily. Thor's eyes flicked between Loki's face and those of Jane and Steve for several moments before the god sighed. He seemed to deflate slightly, he looked so tired.  
>"I fear my brother is with child again," was the quiet response, Thor's eyes on his brother's face.<p>

The room seemed to fill with silence.

Steve frowned. "With child? As in...pregnant?" He received a nod in response.

Jane's hand moved to stroke Thor's hair. "So when you tell me stories about him shapeshifting, that's everything?" she asked quietly, considerably more controlled than Steve. Another nod.  
>"That's why you think he's not healing?"<br>Nod.  
>"But why won't you leave him?"<br>At that Thor looked away from his brother and stared at the wall. "I- My brother has not been treated... _well_in regard to his previous children," he said carefully. "His eldest son, was bound to my father's service," Thor paused again. This was not easy for him to explain. He knew his father's reasoning but he also knew the pain that his brother went through every time he lost a child. "His second son, Fenrir, was...chained up," Thor sighed. "He was too dangerous,"

Loki's hand twitched.

"His third son, Jormungand, was also taken from him. Odin cast him into the sea," Thor rubbed a tired hand over his face. Jane glanced at Loki's face. She didn't like the trickster but she couldn't imagine losing one child, let alone three. She stole a look at Steve, he looked slightly disturbed. Clearly removing children from their parents was off according to his moral compass.

Loki seemed to breathe deeper than before.

"I wished I had stepped forward sooner. My brother's next child was a girl. She was still a babe when Father took her away, he-" Thor stopped. Hel's banishment was a deep regret for Thor.

"He cast her out to Nifilheim," a quiet voice finished for Thor. Three sets of eyes met one tired, green pair. Loki gazed at them warily. "Odin stole my children from me. It will not happen again,"


	4. Chapter 4

_I need to stop writing this before I go to bed, it makes me feel rather melancholy, anyways enjoy!_

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><p>Steve cast a cursory glance over the injured god. Loki looked horrible to say the least. He had looked healthier passed out. Steve remembered Loki being pale before but now he looked like a ghost. The unfortunate combination of blood loss, harsh light, starch white sheets and the comparison of Thor's golden skin left Loki looking deathly. The bags under his eyes became more apparent as Loki pulled his hand from Thor's and pushed himself into a sitting position and even that small movement seemed to tire him. The bandage on his shoulder restricted Loki's movement and though Steve was sure it must hurt, the trickster's hands still returned to curl around his abdomen. He frowned, Loki sure was paranoid about this.<p>

The protectiveness didn't get past Thor either. The blonde looked at Loki sadly.  
>"Are you?" he asked.<br>"Am I what, you oaf?" the insult seemed more kneejerk than anything else and lacked any real bite. Thor was unfazed.  
>"With child?"<br>Loki turned his eyes to his stomach. "I," he swallowed. "I don't know yet. But I won't risk anything," he said, the last part quietening to a murmur. Loki's eyelids drooped again and the trickster seemed to be having trouble keeping awake. There was silence for a moment before Steve opened his mouth to question only to be cut off by Thor.  
>"You've cast spells, protection?" he asked quickly. Jane glanced at him trying to catch his eye but Thor locked gaze with his brother. Loki didn't hold the look for long. There was a pause.<br>"Yes,"  
>"And that's why you're not healing,"<br>Pause.  
>"Yes,"<br>"Brother, you are taxing yourself too much, you must revoke some of the spells," Thor implored Loki, the begging tone in Thor's voice made Steve frown. He'd thought this was just tiredness but perhaps Loki was more at risk than he'd thought.  
>Loki just shook his head. "No Thor, I'm not risking anything,"<br>Thor's jaw clenched and his next words had a lot more force in them. "By over-stretching yourself you are taking a risk,"  
>"I'm managing it,"<br>"Clearly not,"  
>"Thor I think I know my limits a little better than you,"<br>"Really? Is that so? Have you forgotten about that time in Nidavellir?"

As the brothers argued, Steve managed to catch Jane's eye, he gestured towards the door and she nodded. Whatever argument this was it was best left to the two gods. The two walked until they were out of earshot. Steve ran a hand through his hair. "Christ, I wasn't expecting that,"  
>"No," Jane agreed. "It certainly complicates matters. And to think it's even possible. I mean I knew Loki was talented at magic but that's...actually <em>impressive<em>,"  
>Steve grudgingly nodded. "Impressive it might be but you're right in saying that it complicates things," he sighed. "The plan we had for a captured Loki was slap one of Stark's inhibitor collars on him and throw him in a cell. But I don't think I could do that to him now," he sighed again.<br>"And we don't even really know what those collars stop," Jane added. "I mean, if they mess with his shapeshifting and something happens, I don't think Thor would be too happy either,"  
>Steve slumped against the wall, cutting a dejected figure. "I still can't believe he's <em>pregnant<em>. Granted, he's an alien god but I can't say I ever picked Loki for the mothering type,"  
>Jane couldn't think of what to say so she just shrugged. Steve was about to speak again when a shocked yelp cuts through the silence.<br>"Loki is _what_!"


	5. Chapter 5

Steve just groaned. _Awesome_. Clint Barton was staring at him and Jane as if they'd grown extra ears.  
>"Did you just say that Loki was pregnant? As in going to have a baby? How is that even <em>possible<em>?" he questioned.  
>Jane gave Steve a sympathetic look. "Yes, yes and shapeshifting,"<br>Clint raised an eyebrow. "Shapeshifting?" he sounded doubtful. "Is he really that good?"  
>Steve shrugged. "Apparently," he muttered before raising his head to look at Barton properly. "What are you doing down here anyway?"<br>Clint mirrored Steve's shrug. "Came down to see Loki, or Thor or whatever," he said quickly. "I know, I know," he continued, holding up his hands to cut Steve and Jane off. "I just...dunno, I heard he hadn't woken up yet and I thought I should go apologise or something before Thor goes all vengeful on me,"  
>Steve considered that for a moment before nodding. "Seems fair, he's awake now anyway. We left just a few minutes ago," he glanced at Jane. "Thor and Loki were arguing," he paused.<br>"It was awkward," Jane finished for him.  
>Clint sighed. That would be fun. Get between two crazy, immortal, god-aliens, sounded like a plan. "Well, I'm here now so may as well,"<br>"Good luck," Steve said, a bit too sincerely for Barton's liking. "I need a cup of coffee, or a beer," he muttered stalking off, with Jane on his heels after throwing a departing wave at Clint.

Barton steeled himself and walked to Loki's room. He had expected arguing between the two gods. Instead he walked in to the brothers glaring at each other and a tense silence.  
>Clint blinked and then decided it wasn't worth the effort. He turned to leave but was stopped by an icy voice.<br>"You,"  
>Clint swallowed. Loki didn't sound happy. He plastered a carefree smirk on his face. "Yes?" he replied, turning back to face the raven-haired god.<br>Loki narrowed his eyes. "You shot me,"  
>Clint just crossed his arms and nodded. "To be fair, you are kinda a villain,"<br>"I wasn't doing anything 'wrong',"  
>Clint could practically see the air quotes.<br>"At the time, yet you still shot me,"  
>"I've never hit you before. I figured you'd dodge it,"<br>"I wasn't expecting to be _attacked_," Loki snapped, venom dripping from his words.  
>Clint sighed angrily. "Look, Loki, I'm not sorry I shot at you but I'm sorry you got hurt," he paused. "You know, considering," he gestured vaguely at Loki's torso.<br>Clearly, that was the wrong thing to say. The temperature of the room seemed to drop several degrees and Clint swore the metal railings off the bed frosted slightly.  
>"Considering <em>what<em>?" Loki asked, voice dangerously low and Barton's survival instinct was screaming at him to run. He looked to Thor for some support, but only got a wary look in response.  
>"You know the...," he trailed off again.<br>Loki glared.  
>"The...pregnancy...thing,"<br>Loki's glare intensified.  
>Clint held up his hands defensively. "Look, I just heard Jane and the Cap discussing it, that's all,"<br>Loki glared at Clint one last time before turning to Thor. "This is why I have protections in place, these mortal's are so gossipy that I wouldn't be surprised if your entire team knew of my...concerns by now," he snapped.  
>Clint shrugged. "I don't see the issue, I mean what's the worse that could happen?" he remarked flippantly.<br>Loki turned cold eyes back on Barton. "Get out," he hissed.  
>Clint swallowed nervously. He was not doing well at not pissing off Loki. And while Loki looked pretty out of it Clint was pretty sure the god would still strangle him. He spared Thor a glance and the blonde god just jerked his head towards the door. Barton took the hint and practically ran out the door, making a mental note not to touch on the subject of Loki's kids ever, ever again.<p> 


End file.
